the engine temp will never get to normal operating level on my 94 cavalier 2.2. i have changed the thermostat twice and completely changed the coolant, but my condition still exists. the condition is odd. the engine will warm up to where it should be (around 180-190*), then it appears as if the stat opens up and the coolant temp drops to the level shown below in the pic. at this point, the level will not rise anymore. it is "stuck" at this temp. my heater barely blows warm air, however, for the 10 seconds the temp raises to 190* (before the needle drops) it blows warm.
now, let me throw a wrench into the mix.... if i work the engine hard, it is possible to get the temp to raise to 190*, AND STAY THERE. if i drive really aggesive, do a few 0-85mph runs, hold the accelerator to the floor going up hills, etc.... i can get the temp gauge to raise to 190*. when i drive aggressively like this to get the temp up, the needle will stay pointing towards 12 oclock (approx 190*). the electric fan will kick in if it gets too warm, and turn off when it drops back down to approx 190*. everything will work as it should under normal operating conditions. but like i said, if i just get out on the road and cruise at 65*, it will never warm up. even if i let it sit and idle for 30 minutes, it will never raise above the temp shown in the pic below.
i live in north dakota, so the winter is fairly cold. however, even this summer/fall the engine would always run at the temp shown below. i just never thought much of it until i noticed the heater doesnt work real well. i even have the radiator COMPLETELY blocked off with a piece of cardboard, and it didnt do a darn thing for me...
some of my buddies mentioned my heater core may be bad. well, this would seem logical when considering the heating problem.....but this does not explain why my coolant temp never gets to normal operating range.
and advice is appreciated. thanks
Well you covered all the normal options.The cardboard idea is good,I do that on my daily in winter(a trk).To me your choices are drain the system and refill and flush with some lime away(yes seriously) and drive it for a while and return and drain it.Refill with clean water to clear the residue left run car for 20-30 minutes drain it out then refill and mix your freeze/distilled water to what u want.Now if that does not improve the issue I would then suggest replacing the heater core and if u have the original radiator you might want to consider replacing it as well bc over time crud will build up that can not be cleaned with normal flushing and unless u take the rad to a shop and have the core redone(alternate idea) this is what comes to mind.Hope this gives you some ideas to consider.
Well, I have to agree with Ron. It sounds like you may just wanna try and flush the system. Also, tho you said its been replaced twice, are you sure your putting the correct temp thermostat back in? I only ask bc since I work for Napa, and there are two temps listed for your car, a 180 and a 195. The 180 one says alternate temperature, and the 195 says OEM specific temp. Also, I would make sure your fan isnt staying on longer then it needs too. I had a similar problem in my Escalade I use to have and the thermostat had a ton of little holes in it. It would get to about the same temp your at, and stay there unless driven hard. So I would think thats whats the problem. You may also have air pockets, but usually that causes a running hotter then normal problem. I dont think the heater core is a problem, since the car itself isnt heating up. Other then that, im out of ideas. Goodluck, and keep us posted!
i do have the 195* from napa installed. what would happen if the t-stat is installed backwards? i dont know which way it was.........i just put it back in the way the old one was installed. it only takes a minute to remove it, so i will check which way its installed......but i would like to know which way it is supposed to be.
also, if i do flush the system, where is the drain on the engine to drain the block.
usually the drains themselves are always on the lower side of the actual radiator. Im not sure where yours is 100%. But look at the lowest point on ur radiator. Usually very close to the lower radiator hose. But I can be wrong.
If its installed backwards, it would usually cause a overheating problem, and in your car the heating element (or long shaft side) goes into the adapter plate, and the smoother domed top goes into the bubble shaped neck . Since the car is staying too cold, Its like its not even there. So its a severe head scratcher. Here is a simple thing. How is ur radiator cap?? i know if it doesnt build pressure correctly, it can stop you from reach full operating temp. And im thinking that the way you said it, its not building pressure, or if it is, its just bleeding out and stopping you from reaching that pressure again. Give that a shot and see what happens.
Mike Z A.K.A SNEEZY wrote:usually the drains themselves are always on the lower side of the actual radiator. Im not sure where yours is 100%. But look at the lowest point on ur radiator. Usually very close to the lower radiator hose. But I can be wrong.
If its installed backwards, it would usually cause a overheating problem, and in your car the heating element (or long shaft side) goes into the adapter plate, and the smoother domed top goes into the bubble shaped neck . Since the car is staying too cold, Its like its not even there. So its a severe head scratcher. Here is a simple thing. How is ur radiator cap?? i know if it doesnt build pressure correctly, it can stop you from reach full operating temp. And im thinking that the way you said it, its not building pressure, or if it is, its just bleeding out and stopping you from reaching that pressure again. Give that a shot and see what happens.
i cant imagine the rad cap is more than $20, so i will try it
and about the coolant drain.....you are correct in saying there is a petcock on the bottom of the radiator. however, on alot of engines there is a plug in the block you can turn out to drain all the coolant out of the actual engine.
Ohh, I see what you talking about. And to be very honest with you, I have never looked or used one. I always just took off the lower hose and that took it out. But I really cant see that being a issue. if it was overheating, then I would say go for it, but its not. But it couldnt hurt i guess. Do the cap and go that route first, and see what happens.
Radiator cap should not be more than 10.00 even if you buy the vent lever style has a red handle on top,you lift up to releive the pressure,so u can remove it while the rad is hot.Mine for the cavy and my truck were right at that price from auto zone.Advance is about the same except they sell stant brand,the zone sells a off brand which works just as good.The cap idea is a quick way to check it.If it does not pan out,try flushing with lime away as I stated and actually drive it for a bit so it will loosen up crud inside the block conventional flushes wont.
The block drain is behind the exhayst manifold just above the starter. It uses a 14mm wrench. Due to the location of it, I don't think you can get a socket on it. I could be wrong about not being able to get a socket on it, but if my memory serves me correctly, that is where I would drain the block when doing head gaskets on that motor, and I would always use a wrench. For those questioning why I drained the block when doing a head gasket, it saved me a lot of clean-up and having to swab out cylinders with a rag.
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